Former Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo dropped out of the race to win back her old seat in the House representing Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, which is expected to be one of the most competitive seats of the 2026 midterm elections.
Caraveo said in a statement that her decision to withdraw from the Democratic primary was not one she took lightly.
“Unfortunately, I faced very strong resistance to my candidacy this cycle due almost entirely to the stigmatization of mental health in America,” she said Friday. “I hope that one day we will see more acceptance and understanding of illnesses like depression, and that leaders at all levels will be able to support those in need in actions and not just words.”
Caraveo has been open about her struggles with mental health and depression since she was a teenager. She told Colorado Public Radio in 2024 that she had to seek treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after her symptoms worsened during her first term in Congress.
“I think that the depression that I have, and then the drive to take care of others, really mixed with some of the frustrations of a new job — and everything that goes on in Washington D.C. — it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and dark thoughts,” she said at the time. “And it was when I got into that dark place that I decided that I needed the right treatment and was able to get that.”
Caraveo was one of several candidates in the Democratic primary to unseat Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), who is in his first term representing the 8th Congressional District after ousting Caraveo by around 2,600 votes in the 2024 election.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as a toss-up, with the partisan index rated “even.” The seat will likely attract significant campaign funds and ad messaging, given Republicans’ narrow majority in the House.
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Per CPR, Caraveo was facing an uphill battle to win the Democratic nomination. She received no endorsements from fellow Democratic colleagues and did not receive any support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has remained neutral in the primary, as it historically does.
Other Democrats in the primary include state Treasurer Dave Young, state Reps. Shannon Bird and Manny Rutinel, former Marine Evan Munsing, and Amie Baca-Oehlert, the former leader of the state’s largest teachers union.